Decontamination
by Sim Spider
Summary: Tag to Chimera major S5 spoilers. No pairings. The team have to be decontaminated before they go home.
1. Chapter 1

Decontamination

Tag to Chimera. I don't own NCIS or MW would be hanging off something every week.

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The satellite image screen suddenly filled with flame as a missile struck the Chimera. Jenny's mouth dropped open as she witnessed the destruction of the ship.

"Tell me you didn't just do that," said Shepard. Skinner looked away, unable to meet the grief and anger in her eyes.

"The decision was out of my hands, Director. We could not allow that material to be stolen…"

"But you could let five of my agents die?" She demanded.

"It's… possible there were survivors, Director. We'll do a thorough sweep of the area as soon as the support ship gets there…"

"Special Agent Gibbs barely survived his second explosion last year. Dr Mallard is sixty two years old and Special Agent DiNozzo once almost died from pneumonic plague. Even if they somehow survived the blast, they won't last more than a few minutes in the water. Special Agent McGee and Officer David _perhaps_ a little longer. What am I supposed to tell their families?"

"The same as I have to tell Takada's family, Director. They died during a classified operation, serving their country."

"They weren't serving their country, Commander. They were betrayed by it."

"Director, the small attack craft is moving away from the Chimera."

"The intruders got away?" Said Skinner, horrified, grabbing for his cell. "I've got to scramble an attack helo…"

"Wait. Can you get a better image of the people in the boat, Tom?"

"Yes, Director," he replied, typing rapidly.

The picture zoomed in and became clearer. As they watched, the figure piloting the boat reached across and smacked one of his companions on the head. Jenny smiled.

"Cancel that helo, Commander. Those are my people."

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"Ship coming in at your eight o'clock, boss," said Tony, eyes narrowed on the distant horizon. "Can't tell what kind yet."

McGee turned to look in the same direction. "I don't see anything," he said.

"That's because you spend too much time indoors staring at computer screens and typewriters, McGeek."

"At least I don't panic when someone mentions the words the word bug and rat in the same sentence," muttered McGee resentfully.

Gibbs smacked him on the head. "He had the damn plague, McGee. Lay off."

"Thank you, boss," said Tony, triumphantly.

"Tony's right," said Ziva, squinting in the direction he was looking. "There is a ship coming. You have exceptional eyesight."

"Twenty ten; same as one of the finest players in the history of baseball…"

"Hey, DiNozzo! Give your mouth a rest and keep your exceptional eyes on that ship. I'm not gonna approach until I'm sure she's one of ours."

"One of ours just blew up the ship we're supposed to be on, Jethro," said Ducky. "Can we trust them not to fire on us?"

"What choice d'we have, Duck? This thing doesn't have enough fuel to make land. Must be an enemy vessel out here somewhere; and they'll definitely fire on us when they figure out we're not their friends."

"Gibbs? I think I see another vessel at four o'clock," said Ziva. "But I am not certain."

"Tony, any detail on yours yet?"

"Could be a destroyer, boss, but I'm not one hundred percent sure."

"Then get sure, DiNozzo. McGee; there any way we can contact MTAC?"

"Out here? I'm down to a laptop and a cell phone, boss. Not enough power for a satellite link. Can't be done."

"Then improvise, McGee. Look around; might be something you can use."

"Gibbs, there is definitely a second ship, said Ziva. And it's coming in fast."

"Tell me what you see, DiNozzo."

"Uh, a grey blob with a smaller blob on top, boss. Hard to tell at this distance, but I think she's pretty big and she has a military profile. Not closing up very fast."

"Ziva?"

"Fairly small, very speedy. Low to the water; no big comms tower."

Gibbs made his decision and swung the helm towards Tony's ship, opening the throttle further. "We head for the bigger ship; it's more likely to be Navy. When the Russians see it, they'll run before they get blown up too."

"Oh, God," moaned McGee, as the sharp turn toppled him to the deck. He was looking very green. "I'm gonna puke again," he said miserably. "I left my Dramamine on the Chimera."

"It still amazes me that someone with acute seasickness would choose to work for the Navy," remarked Ziva, keeping watch on the smaller vessel.

"I'm just hoping he has to do a stint as an agent afloat someday," Tony grinned. "The crew'll call him Fishfood McGee." Ziva chuckled.

"Really, you two; you shouldn't make fun of poor Timothy," Ducky admonished them, helping the young agent to the side. "Many great men have suffered from seasickness. Admiral Lord Nelson, Sir Walter Raleigh. Charles Darwin, on his five year round trip aboard HMS Beagle, was permanently nauseous even in the calmest weather; when it was rough he'd be bedridden for days, vomiting until his oesophagus bled..."

McGee leaned over the rail, making indescribable sounds.

"Somehow, Ducky, I don't think that helped," said Tony.

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The destroyer had lowered some ropes to hoist the boat on board; a couple of crew in full biohazard gear slid down them to attach them.

"Try to look like you're not dying horribly, willya, McGee?" Said Tony.

"I swear, DiNozzo, one more dig and I'm gonna puke on you," McGee managed hoarsely. "Ohh…"

"You still have something to puke, Probie? You've been blowing chunks all day."

"I'm afraid Timothy is only bringing up mucus and stomach acid now, Tony," Ducky answered for him. Tony pulled a face.

"Can you die from seasickness, Ducky?" Ziva inquired.

"Indeed you can, my dear. Dehydration is the major cause of death; the sufferer cannot absorb even water without bringing it up again almost immediately. And then there is the disease that can be caused by people lying around in their own vomit, sometimes for days, and succumbing to infection. I remember a case many years ago when…"

"Ducky, please," begged McGee.

"Oh, I do apologise, Timothy. Perhaps another time might be more appropriate."

"Yes! On dry land! When I'm not there!"

"Quit torturing McGee," said Gibbs. "We're about to be taken on board.

"Is this a good time to mention the best pirate movie ever made; the Muppet's Treasure Island?" Asked Tony.

Gibbs gave him a Look.

"Guess not."

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The five members of the team and Midas the cook were brought on board, hosed down and made to shower before being given grey sweats to wear and moved to sickbay. Two medical corpsmen, again in hazmat suits, began to take blood samples and thumbprints from each of them. They also gave each patient a brief medical check up, taking their heart rates, blood pressure and temperature.

"Would it be possible for you to attach a saline and anti-emetic drip to Agent McGee over there?" Asked Ducky, as he was being processed. "I'm afraid the poor boy suffers from terrible seasickness; he's very dehydrated."

"All of you will be hooked up to saline IVs, Doctor," said Clarke, one of the medics. "I'll have to ask Dr Hansen about the anti-emetic."

"What?" Said Tony, who was next in line, looking panicky. "No frickin way!"

"You'll do as you're told, DiNozzo," warned Gibbs.

"No, boss! I swore the last time I'd never let anyone stick one of those torture devices in me again. I'd rather kiss McGee, even after all the puking."

"What's the big deal, Tony? It's only an IV; it doesn't hurt," said Ziva.

"You try pulling the damn thing out every hour because you have to sit up to cough the blood out of your lungs, Ziva," Tony snapped. "That hurts!"

"Panicking is not going to help, Tony," said Gibbs.

"I'm not panicking, boss; I'm stating a fact. You can glare at me all you want; it's not gonna happen. I can let them take blood, but I can't take an IV again."

"I'll speak to Dr Hansen about your phobia, sir," said Simmonds. "Perhaps we can make an exception."

"Thank you," said Tony sincerely. He rolled up his sleeve, clenched his jaw and scrunched his eyes closed as the needle was slipped into his vein, every muscle tensed.

"We'll be back shortly to start the IVs," said Clarke. "Try to rest."

The whole team and Midas were all sitting or lying on their beds except Tony, who prowled the room like a caged tiger.

"Would you stop pacing?" Groaned McGee. "I feel worse just watching you."

"Then don't look, McBarfbag," said Tony shortly.

"Siddown and shuddup, DiNozzo," said Gibbs, without opening his eyes.

"Can't, boss. They'll be bringing in the torture devices any minute."

"I've never seen anyone this scared of needles before," said Ziva.

"Had the plague, Ziva; what d'you expect?"

"I expect you to follow orders, DiNozzo," warned Gibbs. "Don't make me tell you again."

"Yes, boss," said Tony, reluctantly moving over to his bed and perching on the edge, watching the door like a hawk.

He jumped up again when it was opened by a middle aged man followed by the two corpsmen with a trolley of equipment.

"Good afternoon, lady and gentlemen; I am Dr Hansen; I'll be in charge of your care while you're aboard. Now, which of you is Agent McGee?"

"That's me," said McGee, sounding like he very much wished it wasn't.

"I'm afraid I can't give you anything for your nausea until the blood tests are back," the Doctor told him. "But the saline should make you feel a little better. Clarke and Simmonds will get you all started with your IVs; a solution of saline and prophylactics that will help if any of you prove to be infected. Now, which is Agent DiNozzo?"

"Over here," said Tony warily.

"Are you sure you won't let us put in a line?" Asked Hansen. "It would make your treatment a lot easier for everyone..."

"No, Doc," said Tony firmly. "I said no and I meant it. I'm happy to sign any waivers you want."

"That won't be necessary. All right; if you insist, I can give your prophylactics as a shot." He lifted a large syringe from the trolley. "But you're going to be taking a lot of injections."

"Injections I can live with. IVs I can't," said Tony, rolling his sleeve up again.

"It would be better if we alternated injection sites," said Hansen. "Lie down, please." Grudgingly, Tony did so, trying not to listen to Ziva sniggering. Hansen pulled down his pants a little way, sterilised the site and emptied the syringe into his butt.

"There," he said. "I'll be back in thirty minutes to check up on all of you. Any changes in blood pressure, pulse or temperature could be an indication of disease, so we'll be recording them every half hour. If at any time any of you feel unwell, hit the panic button on the wall over there and we'll come running. In the mean time, please try to rest."

"There any chance I can call my Director and tell her we're alive, Doctor?" Asked Gibbs.

"I'm afraid non- secure communication is not allowed on this ship; but I'm sure she's been officially notified."

The minute the three medics had left, Tony was back on his feet and pacing again.

"Tony, Dr Hansen told you to rest," said Ducky, exasperatedly. "And I must say I concur. You look exhausted."

"I'm fine," Tony replied curtly.

"Is your little hairy butt sore?" Asked Ziva teasingly. "That was a big needle..."

"I told you, I'm fine. Just restless."

"You're not restless, Tony; you're scared," said Ziva. "Needles, rats and after the incident with the parking lot, probably heights as well."

"Hey, if I was gonna get a thing about heights, I'dve got it when I got pushed out of a plane, right, boss?"

"Yeah, prob'ly," said Gibbs. "You fumbled the landing."

"Hey! That was not my fault. It was dark and I twisted my ankle on a rock... whoa." Tony swayed alarmingly, grabbing the end of Gibbs' bed for support.

At once, Gibbs was out of bed and by his side, dragging his IV pole. "Ziva, panic button; Ducky, help me..." Between them, the pair managed to get a very wobbly Tony onto Gibbs' bed.

"Tony, what's wrong? Are you in pain?" Asked Ducky, going into doctor mode.

"No... Just feel weird. Faint... Like Atlas case..." And then Hansen and the two corpsmen rushed in and wheeled Tony's bed away to isolation, leaving the others staring after them.

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	2. Chapter 2

23 reviews in less than 24 hours? Wow! I've never had that many for a first chapter before. Thanks to all of you; and Richefic thought it was a good cliffhanger? Tony torturer extraordinaire? I'm sooo proud.

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Some time later, Ziva broke the silence.

"What did he mean, the Atlas case? I am not familiar with it."

"There is no reason why you should be, my dear," said Ducky. "It was before your time. Tony was drugged and kidnapped by a deranged woman who believed he was close to discovering that she was a serial killer. He was fortunate to escape with his life."

"Tony thinks he's been drugged?" Asked McGee incredulously.

"Or he's ill and the sensation is similar," the doctor replied.

"Do you think Tony has what killed Takada?" Asked Ziva.

"No," said Midas unexpectedly. The whole team turned to stare at him as he continued. "Takada twitched a lot, had a nosebleed, puked and then collapsed. He didn't faint; your friend can't have the same thing as him."

"Then what does he have?" Asked Gibbs rhetorically. "For all we know, there could've been more than one bioweapon aboard that ship; just look at what else we found."

"All that time, Tony was convinced he was dying," said McGee. "Maybe he was right."

"Like hell he is," growled Gibbs fiercely. "When was the last time DiNozzo was right about anything, McGee? He'll be fine." There was a slightly uncomfortable silence as they all contemplated Gibbs' statement. It was clear he was as worried as the rest of them.

"Just how unlucky does a man have to be to be infected with a bioweapon on two separate occasions?" Asked Ziva eventually.

"Are you kidding?" said McGee. "Tony's a walking rabbit's foot; he's been shot at, kidnapped and cracked on the head like, twice a month for the past five years and he hasn't died yet. Not to mention catching the plague, two car bombs, being pushed out of a plane, hanging over a seven story drop _and_ pissing Gibbs off on purpose."

"You are forgetting La Grenouille and the CIA, Timothy," Ducky contributed. And then there was the time he got locked in a box with Ziva and shot, and the time in the hotel... oh, and the time he got handcuffed to a serial killer and went on the run..."

"Wait; Tony got shot in the box?" Asked McGee. "I thought he cut his arm on a crate."

"Oh, no. The bullet only grazed the skin and the top layer of muscle, but it required eleven stitches and a long course of antibiotics. Six inches to the left and he would almost certainly be dead. The man is a medical miracle."

"Yes, we get the picture, Doctor," said Ziva, irritatedly. "Tony is very lucky to be alive."

"Fifteen percent," said Gibbs.

"Fifteen percent of what?" She asked.

"Tony's chances, last time. Fifteen percent; maybe a little more because he was healthy to start with."

There was another anxious silence. Not even McGee has known the precise figure of probability; Gibbs had just acted as if it was a given Tony would survive. Each thought of the many times they'd almost lost their friend; and prayed it would not be this time.

"Never thought we'd be here again," said Gibbs, finally.

"Me either, boss," said McGee. "At least this time no one's mentioned honey dust."

"Honey dust?" Asked Ziva. "What is honey dust?"

Gibbs and McGee exchanged a look.

"Ask Tony," they said together.

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"You'll be pleased to know, Director, that your people have been picked up," said Skinner smugly, joining Jenny in her office.

"That's excellent news, Commander. When can I speak to them?"

"Well, they have to go through decontamination, Director, and after that they'll need to be quarantined, so maybe a week."

"A week?! You can't give me so much as a phone call in a week?!"

"The support ship, the Hydra, is also very highly classified, Director. Any communication is in danger of being intercepted..."

"I don't care how secret it is, I want to talk to my agent, Commander!" Jenny demanded. "And either you can arrange it or I'll see to it you never have access to another black op in your life."

"Director? Abby Scutio is here to see you," said Cynthia over the intercom. Jenny smiled evilly.

"Send her in, Cynthia."

"What? Who is Abby Scutio?" Asked Skinner. "I've told you, I can't read in anyone else..."

Abby opened the door and tottered in on her platform heels. Skinner stared, unable to help himself, at the unexpected pigtails, miniskirt and multiple tattoos.

"Director! Have you heard from Gibbs yet? Because I know it's all really top secret and everything but there was a bug and Tony's terrified of bugs and I think he sniffed the blood because I told him to and if he's infected it's my fault and the plague was bad enough and... And who's this guy?"

"This is Commander Skinner, Abby. He was in charge of the Chimera. Commander, this is Abby Scutio, our top forensic scientist. The Commander was just explaining why he won't let me talk to Gibbs."

Skinner was still staring at Abby's neck; she scrunched up her face and glared at him.

"You had better let us talk to Gibbs because if you don't, he taught me all these really cool Marine hand to hand techniques and I've been looking on someone to practise on for months," she threatened.

"I... uh..." Somehow, Abby's threat was worse than Jenny's. "OK. I can have a line set up but you cannot discuss anything sensitive. And it can only be a few minutes."

"That's all I need, Commander."

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It was almost an hour before Corpsman Clarke returned. He was carrying a satellite phone in a baggie. "You have a call, Agent Gibbs," he said. "To your Director."

"Forget the Director; how's DiNozzo?"

"He's stable, sir, and we're doing our best to figure out what's wrong," said Clarke, not without sympathy. "Just keep the phone in the bag. Five minutes."

"Yeah, Gibbs," he barked wearily into the plastic.

"Agent Gibbs; are the others safe?"

"All but DiNozzo, Director."

"Tony? What's wrong with him?"

"Don't know. He fainted and the doctors here whisked him away. They won't tell us anything beyond 'stable'."

"They think he has..."

"Director!" Skinner interrupted.

"That paranoid asshole still getting in your way, Jen?"

"Good description, Jethro. Are we dealing with another love letter?"

"Possibly. Calligraphy's different to Takada; but Tony barely got over the last time. Could explain why he's the only one."

"Or maybe it's just speeding things up. You could all be lipsticked."

They both considered that image for a moment.

"Hope not," said Gibbs. "McGee's still green; it wouldn't match. Tell Abby not to worry too much; the tests will be back soon."

"I'll try. I'll see if I can convince the Commander here to let me know when there's any news."

"OK. And you can tell him that next time I see him, he's a dead man for almost killing my team."

"You're on speaker," said the Commander.

"Then you'll be pleased to know I found the thing you were so worried about, Skinner. And if Tony ends up like Lieutenant Sanders, I'll let Ziva torture you a while before I kill you." Gibbs hung up.

Jenny rounded on Skinner. "Why the hell didn't you tell me there was radioactive material on that ship?" She demanded.

The commander couldn'tve looked more surprised if she'd asked him if he was wearing ladies underwear.

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The whole team sat up attentively as the negatively pressured door swished open and Dr Hansen entered the sickbay.

"How's DiNozzo?" Asked Gibbs immediately, his ice blue eyes boring into the doctor.

"Unconscious, for the moment. We've found no obvious cause for his collapse; has he eaten or drunk much today?"

"He had a bottle of water," Ziva volunteered. "But I have not seen him eat."

"Neither have I," added McGee, "and he usually waves food at me when I'm seasick."

"And has he been under unusual stress lately?"

"Convinced himself he was gonna die of his greatest fear, had needles stuck in him, threatened with an IV; what'd you think?" Said Gibbs sarcastically.

"I'll take that as a yes. Well, I think the most likely explanation is that Agent DiNozzo simply fainted. High stress, low blood sugar, high blood pressure and laboured breathing, combined with his compromised lungs, reduced oxygen levels in his blood until he passed out."

"Ducky?" Asked Gibbs, eyes never leaving Hansen.

"Possible; but in Anthony's case I think unlikely," the ME replied. "He's been in far worse states than this and I've never seen him faint before."

"Right." Gibbs disconnected his IV. "Ziva, cover the door," he ordered.

"With pleasure, Gibbs," she replied, moving to a lookout position.

"What are you doing, Agent Gibbs?" Asked Hansen, alarmed. "You really should get back into bed…"

He was cut off abruptly as Gibbs grabbed him by the shoulders of his hazmat suit and slammed him into the nearest wall, getting right up in his face; or his mask, at least.

"What the hell did you give to Tony?" He demanded.

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Bit short; but I hope you liked it. Next chap up tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry this is a bit late; I've had unexpected relatives today.

Many, many thanks to everyone who's reviewed; I'm particularly impressed to have been reviewed by three of my favourite writers; Tweeter, Richefic and Celestial.

All your questions will be answered…

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_He was cut off abruptly as Gibbs grabbed him by the shoulders of his hazmat suit and slammed him into the nearest wall, getting right up in his face; or his mask, at least._

"_What the hell did you give to Tony?" He demanded. _

"I told you," the doctor blustered. "Prophylactics; vitamins, broad spectrum antibiotics, antivirals… You all had the same…" Gibbs slammed his back into the bulkhead again.

"He told me he'd been drugged; and believe me he knows what that feels like. What did you give him?" Hansen stared into eyes burning with rage; they were a lot worse this close up.

"There was nothing harmful, I swear!" He said, voice shrill and panicky.

Gibbs' voice dropped to a menacing growl. "I am not going to ask again, Doctor. What did you do to my agent?"

"I… It was just a sedative, that's all! And it was for his own good…"

"You drugged a patient without his knowledge or consent." Said Ducky, disgusted. "And you call yourself a doctor?"

"He needed that IV," explained Hansen miserably. "With his history, he was the most vulnerable of you all and he wouldn't take something that could save his life. I had to do it; it was a chemical restraint or a physical one and I couldn't do that to a patient until I knew beyond a doubt he was sick…"

"You drugged him to stick a needle in his hand?" Asked Gibbs incredulously. "And you didn't even tell us, when we thought he could have been dying?"

"All I wanted to do was give your friend the best possible chance of survival, Agent Gibbs. It was the only way…"

"I want Tony back in here where we can keep an eye on him," Gibbs commanded.

"Ok; ok if that's what you want."

"It is; and I want another call to my director so I can tell her she has another career to end. From now on, you don't give any medication to any of us without Dr Mallard's approval; are we clear?"

"Clear, Agent Gibbs; just please, let me go?" Gibbs shoved himself away from the thoroughly cowed Hansen and wiped his hands on his sweats in revulsion.

"Get out of my sight," he said. "And get Tony back in here in the next five minutes or next time I see you I won't stop at a shove. And believe me, I will see you again."

The terrified Hansen scuttled towards the door; Ziva tripped him expertly and his head slammed into the glass as he fell. She leaned close and whispered something. Hansen's eyes widened in terror. He scrambled away on all fours, dragging himself up to pass through the iris scan and leave the sickbay.

"What did you say to him, Ziva?" Asked McGee.

"Nothing much, McGee," she said, sounding pleased with herself. "I simply informed him of what I would do with his testicles if he failed to obey Gibbs' orders."

Gibbs smiled. "Good job, Ziva."

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_Jenny rounded on Skinner. "Why the hell didn't you tell me there was radioactive material on that ship?" She demanded. _

_The commander couldn'tve looked more surprised if she'd asked him if he was wearing ladies underwear. _

"What? How did he... You must be mistaken..." Skinner stuttered.

"Lieutenant Sanders died from radiation poisoning, Commander," Shepard informed him. "And I am waiting for an answer!"

"It's... need to know, Director. You didn't, and neither did Agent Gibbs until he was already on the ship and we didn't have a safe way to contact him. It was a matter of national security..." Jenny's patience snapped.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs has done more in the name of national security than you ever will, you pen pushing bureaucratic piece of crap!" She yelled. "And if you don't tell me what the hell is going on in the next ten seconds I'll shove that bug sweeper so far up your ass you'll be chewing on it!"

"Uh, Director?" Said Cynthia through the intercom.

Jenny managed to control her voice. "What is it, Cynthia?"

"The Secretary of the Navy is here to see you. And these walls aren't _that_ thick."

"Send him in," Jenny replied, taking a deep breath.

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True to his word, Hansen sent Clarke and Simmonds, the two corpsmen, to deliver Tony back into the main sickbay. True to Gibbs', he wisely didn't accompany them.

"About damn time," said Gibbs, furiously.

"I'm sorry about that, Agent Gibbs," said Clarke, manoeuvring the bed back into place. He grinned. "Dr Hansen had to go change his pants before he gave us orders to bring Agent DiNozzo back in." Ziva chuckled softly.

"And for the record, we didn't know he'd drugged your friend," added Simmonds, checking the IV line in Tony's left hand. "Although I'd pay good money to see the arrogant SOB piss his pants again. You want me to take the IV out before he wakes up?"

Ducky joined Gibbs by Tony's side. "What was the drug; and the dosage?" He asked, recognising that Gibbs wasn't going to speak. He'd stopped listening; the silver haired man simply gazed down into the peaceful face of his senior field agent. Tony's stillness just seemed wrong. It was too like the plague; and that frightened him more than he was willing to admit. Tony looked so young…

"Jethro?" Ducky placed a hand on his friend's arm.

Gibbs blinked several times; and then saw that the hated needle was still in Tony's hand. "Why the hell is that still there?" He asked dangerously.

"Hansen was right about one thing; despicable as he is," Ducky replied. "Tony does need that IV. It's nearly empty and he'll be unconscious for at least another hour; I'll take it out before he wakes."

"All right," said Gibbs grudgingly. "How much longer before we get the blood tests back?"

"With any luck, we should have the results by morning. And since it's very unlikely that we could have been infected without showing some kind of symptoms by now, I think it's safe to say they'll be negative."

"Good." Gibbs looked around to see the whole team gathered around Tony's bed. "What are you all doing?" He asked. "Go and get some sleep."

"Yes, boss," said the still green McGee, heading back to his bed. Ziva bent and said something in Hebrew to the unconscious Tony before moving away; it sounded like a blessing.

Ducky stretched and took a seat on the edge of Tony's bed. "I have to wait and take the needle out," he said. "Go on, Jethro; he's fine. Follow your own advice."

"See you in the morning, Duck," said Gibbs, doing just that.

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"Jenny," said the SecNav, entering the office. "Always a pleasure. And may I say, you're in fine voice today."

"I'm sorry you had to hear that, Philip," she replied with a smile, as he pecked her on the cheek. "But it's been a long day; mostly thanks to Commander Skinner. Please, sit."

"Thank you. You may leave us, Commander; Director Shepard and I have things to discuss which lie significantly above your security clearance."

"Just wait outside with Cynthia," said Jenny, smirking.

"Yes, Sir; ma'am." Skinner saluted and left, looking highly resentful.

"Now; I've been fully briefed on the situation," said the SecNav, as the door closed behind him. "I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that the Chimera's crew, with the exception of Ferris, the radio operator, have been picked up by the USS Foster. Midas the cook I understand is aboard the Hydra with your people. The area around the wreck has been checked for survivors, but it looks unlikely that any of the intruders made it."

"Do you know who gave the order to blow up the Chimera?" Asked Jenny.

"I don't; but I'm trying very hard to find out. It was definitely someone higher up the chain of command than me."

"They almost killed five of my best people, Philip."

"I know; and I'm as pissed as you are. But on a positive note, I've had a message from the Hydra and it seems that Agent DiNozzo's illness was a false alarm."

"Thank God," said Jenny in relief. "Tony is the second best agent I've ever worked with; and I hate to think what Gibbs would have done to Skinner if anything had happened to him. I would have been doing the paperwork for weeks."

"On that subject, I've also received a complaint from the Hydra's chief medic that he was physically assaulted and threatened by Agent Gibbs and Officer David."

"Same old Jethro; he's very protective of his team."

"Considering the situation, I'm sure we can overlook the incident."

"D'you want to tell me what's going on, Philip? Because Skinner won't and Gibbs can't, except in code. I know there were nuclear as well as biological weapons aboard that ship."

"The Chimera was carrying a Russian nuclear warhead that had been recovered from the sea floor by divers. Dr Takada was investigating the effect of the radiation on the bacteria in the sea floor around it. The virus that killed him was brought on board by Ferris; there was never any serious biological threat. But since he was the only doctor on board, the crew weren't to know that. They abandoned ship and Ferris stayed behind to help his Russian friends recover their warhead."

"The only thing he didn't count on was Gibbs showing up and stealing the missile first. He and his team made off in the Russian's boat with the warhead and then the intruders got crisped by the missile. Provided the blood tests come back clear, which I understand is very likely, I see no reason why your people can't return to DC tomorrow."

"That's excellent news, Philip. And Skinner?"

"Is going to receive a new assignment pushing paper. His handling of the situation has been a disaster."

"Thank you for coming by to fill me in, Philip. Getting information on this operation has been next to impossible. Can I offer you a drink?"

"No; I'm afraid I have to be going. Cleaning up this mess is going to take a lot of my time." He rose and they shook hands.

"Well, then I appreciate your personal visit even more," said Jenny warmly.

"You are most welcome, Jenny. I'll keep you informed on what I find out. Oh, and do feel free to let Gibbs know what is going on; unofficially, of course."

"Knowing Jethro, he probably figured it out before anyone else."

The SecNav chuckled. "It wouldn't surprise me. I'll stay in touch." He left, closing the door behind him. Jenny poured herself a drink and curled up on her couch, kicking off her heels. It had indeed been a long day.

-+-+-+-

Tony groaned; someone was poking him.

"Come on, Tony," said Ziva. "It's time to wake up."

"Does anyone have any superglue?" Asked McGee. "Or maybe a permanent marker?"

"Really, Timothy; you shouldn't take advantage of poor Anthony," Ducky chided gently.

"D'you think another needle in his butt would wake him?" Asked Ziva.

Tony sat bolt upright. "I'm awake, I'm awake! What happened?"

"Hansen drugged you to get an IV in your arm," drawled Gibbs. "Don't worry; I had Ducky take it out."

"The blood tests?" He asked warily.

"All negative, my dear boy. In fact, our helicopter should be arriving soon to take us back to Anacostia."

"I can't wait," said McGee miserably. "I've been permanently seasick for two whole days."

"It's not easy being green, Captain Smallit," Tony grinned. Gibbs smacked him on the head.

"Shut up and get moving, Gonzo," he ordered.

"Yes, boss."

Ziva looked between them as if they were completely insane. "I have no idea what you are talking about," she said.

"I'll lend you the DVD, Miss Piggy," said Tony. Ziva's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Piggy?"

"If you were familiar with the character, my dear, I'm sure you'd be rather flattered," said Ducky. "Come along; it's almost time for our flight."

-+-+-+-

Finito.

Let me know what you thought.


End file.
